Call for sanctions to shake Mugabe

Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai today urged South Africa to impose sanctions against President Robert Mugabe and dismissed a summit of Southern African leaders as useless.

Asked if the 14-nation Southern African Development Community could help resolve the political and economic crisis gripping Zimbabwe, Mr Tsvangirai told the BBC: "There have been double standards and hypocrisy in the actions taken by the whole body."

Analysts said the SADC summit in Malawi was unlikely to act against Mr Mugabe, who is seeking to extend his 21 years in power in presidential elections in March. Mr Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, plans to stand against Mr Mugabe. He said the only way forward was for South Africa, the region's main diplomatic and economic power, to impose sanctions unilaterally - which it has refused to do in the past.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary David Blunkett today came under pressure to halt the deportation of asylum seekers to Zimbabwe as it emerged that the Home Office has not updated its view of the risk they face on return.

Officials have not changed their assessment of Zimbabwe since October, despite the deteriorating situation in the country as Mr Mugabe's regime clamps down on opposition supporters. Tory shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin renewed his call for a meeting with Mr Blunkett to press his demand for a temporary halt to deportations.

He said he was suprised the Home Office had not changed its view in the past three months, adding: "All I want to do is to pursuade David Blunkett to pursuade his officials to catch up with reality.

"At the moment Zimbabwe is clearly in a position in which, if someone is established as a member of an opposition party, there is a real risk to their safety."

Former home secretary Jack Straw, now at the Foreign Office, twice used his power to order temporary halts to deportations to specific countries because they were deemed to be "countries in upheaval".